Dewatering apparatus



W. F. BANKAUF EI'AL Nov.. 16, 1948.

DEWATERING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 26, 1945 arm Nov. 16, 1948. w. F. BANKAUF Erm. 2,453,961

DEWATERING APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 16, 1948. w. F. BANKAUF Erm.`

DEWATERING APPARATUS Filled April 26, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

INVTUR. add Wfl/fam fBan/auf 4 y Harry f/'s/rer Patented Nov. 16, i948 DEWA'TERING APPARATUS William F. Bankauf, East Paterson, and Harry B. Fisher, Belleville, N. J., assignors to Hewitt- Robins Incorporated, a corporation of New York Appucazinn April 2s, 1945, semi No. 590.480

7 Claims. l

This invention relates to dewatering apparatus having for its general purpose to receive wet sand from a source of supply and remove the major part of the water therefrom by a continual process o'f decanting.

The primary object of the invention is an apparatus of this character which is highly efflcient and capable of sustained operation with a minimum of attention and which furthermore is so organized as to be adaptable to a, variety of existing installations, particularly where headroom is at a premium, all as will later be more fully apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings of a preferred form and an alternative embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a preferred orm of installation, the view being taken as n the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the installation, partially sectioned;v

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2: l

Fig. 4 is a broken out elevational view taken as on the line -d of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified construction; and

Fig. 6 is an end view thereof.

Referring rst to the form of the invention shown in Figs. land 4 the major part of the apparatus is shown supported on a suitable foundation l and an adjacent auxiliary foundation 2. Supported in bearings 3 on the angle irons 4 on the foundation I are spaced roller members 5 the shafts 5' of which `are diagrammatically indicated as coupled together by sprocket chain 6 and adapted to be driven through sprocket chain 1 by a motor 8 mounted on the foundation 2., I

Supported on and driven by the rollers 5 is a dewatering wheel, generally designated 9. In general, the dcwatering wheel comprises an open center annular structure which in thlsinstance, and preferably, includes a pair of spaced annular side plates l0 and Il having peripheral flanges I2 and I3 respectively which ride on the rollers 5. The wheel structure incorporates a series of circumferentially arranged buckets or compartments closed at their outer ends and having their open ends directed radially inwardly toward the open center of the wheel. As show n, the buckets or compartments marked il are formed by spaced partitions l5 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the side plates l0 and Il. A closure plate Il forms a bottom for the outer ends of all of the buckets. l

Provision is made for draining water from each bucket and preferably discharging it to one side of the wheel structure. In this instance, in which the lpartitions are square to the side plates lo and il, suitable gutters are provided for this purpose.

At their inner ends the partitions I5 terminate short of the inner margins 'of the side plates Ill and Il and along the inner edge of each partition is -mounted a gutter I'l-extending the full width of each bucket. The gutters are suitably sloped to provide lateral drainage. As shown, particularly in Fig. 4, each gutter slopes from one end to the other endat its right hand end (as viewed in that figure) is provided Vwith an extension i8 which protrudes beyond the side plate Il. The opposite ends of the gutters are closed. Y

As will be apparent, the wheel structure is so constructed and driven that its open center is left entirely free and clear, and according to the present invention this space is utilizedv to accommodate sand feeding and sand receiving means; that is to say, means for supplying the wet sand to the wheel and means for receiving the relatively dry sand discharged by the wheel, such arrangement readily accommodating the structure to existing installations and in a minimum of space. It not infrequently happens that the wet sand supply is arranged to be delivered at a relatively low height above the ground level but, as will be recognized, the described structure is readily adaptable to such arrangements. As shown more particularly in Fig. 1, the sand feeding means illustrated includes a pair of hopy pers I9 mounted on a superstructure generally vdesignated 20 and discharging into' angularly disposed guide spouts 2l located one on each zz is indicated 1n that figure.

In this preferred form the sand receiving means includes a belt conveyor generallydesignated 23 which, as shown in Fig. l, extends clear through the centerv of the wheel structure, its upperA or load-'receiving stretch being supported on suitable rollers 24. Immediately above the conveyor belt 23 is a funnel 24 the open upper end of which is preferably enlargedto extend over a series of buckets, that is, to encompass two or more of the partitions l in the upper part vof the wheel.

'I'he operation of the apparatus will be readily V understood. The wheel is continuously driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 and at a slow speed. The wet sand is fed into the buckets as they Pass in turn beneath the guideV in due course. the latter slides out of veach bucket through the funnel 24' and onto the conveyor belt 23 which may be driven by any suitable means and by which it iscontinuously removed.

Referring now to the modified form illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the wheel structure is the same as that already described and the corresponding elements are similarly numbered. In this instance the wet sand is supplied to the buckets by way of a chute 21 substantially as before but the dewatered sand is continuously removed by a belt conveyor 28 supported on rollers 29 and extending alongside rather than through the open center of the wheel. 'Ijhe discharged or dewatered sand is dumped into a funnel 30 corresponding generally to the funnel 24 but having its lower end extending laterally beyond'one side of the wheel so as to deposit the sand onto the belt conveyor 28. In this instance, also, the water receiving enclosure 3| is indicated as being of somewhat different form from that illustrated in Fig. 2, but in its general mode of operation this modifled structure will be recognized as closely resembling that of the form alreadydescribed.

In the light of the foregoing description of i two illustrative forms of the invention which, of

course, may be modified to suit the conditions at hand, the following is claimed:

1. Sand dewatering apparatus comprising an open-center, annular wheel structure incorporating a'series of circumferentially arranged buckets having their open ends directed radially inwardly vadapted to discharge into the open center of the wheel to supply wet sand by gravity to a bucket in the lower part of the wheelywater discharge means secured to the wheel and extending laterally beyond one side thereof from each bucket adjacent an inner edge thereof and at the lower side of each rising bucket; a conveyorl belt extending through the open center of the wheel; a sand guiding funnel having its receiving end extending'over a series of buckets in the upper part of the wheel and its discharge e'nd directed to supply the conveyor belt and means for moving the belt.

2. Sand dewatering apparatus comprising an open-center, annular wheel structure incorporating a series of circumferentially arranged buckets havingtheir open ends directed radially inwardly toward the open center of the wheel; drive means engaging the wheel radially outwardly from the open center thereof wet sand supply means mounted adjacent one side of the wheel and adapted to discharge into the open center lof the wheel to supply wet sand by gravity to a bucket in the lower part of the wheel; water discharge means' secured to the wheel and extending laterally beyond one side thereof from each bucket adjacent an inner edge thereof and at the lower side of each rising bucket; a conveyor belt extending through the open center of the wheel and positioned to receive sand discharged by gravity from a bucket in the upper part of the wheel and means for moving the belt. --i

3. Sand dewatering apparatus comprising an open-center, annular wheel structure incorporating a series of circumferentially arranged buckets having their open ends directed radially inwardly toward the open center of the wheel; drive means engaging the wheel radially outwardly from the open center thereof; wet sand supply means mounted adjacent one side of Athe wheel and adapted to discharge into the open center of the wheel to supply wet sand by gravity to a bucket in the lower part of the wheel; water discharge means adjacent the open end 'of each bucket; and sand receiving means located within the open center of the wheel in position to receive sand discharged by gravity from a bucket in the upper part of the wheel, said last-mentioned means extending and lthereby adapted to deliver the received sand outside of the wheel.

4. In a sand dewatering apparatus, the combination of a wheel structure including a pair of spaced, annular plates, a series of spaced, radial partition members rigidly uniting the plates and at right angles to the surfaces thereof, closure means for the outer ends of the spacesbetween the partitions, means for rotatably supporting the wheel'structure, a gutter arranged along an inner edge of each partition and extending at one end beyond one of the said plates, each gutter being sloped with respect to its partition to direct water toward the extended end of the gutter, and sand feeding and sand receiving means located within the central space defined by the annular plates, said sand feeding means comprising a guide positioned to dischargeinto partitioned spaces in the lowerpart of the wheel structure and said sand receiving means being positioned to receive gravity-discharging sand from partitioned spaces in the upper part of the wheel structure. 5. In a sand dewatering apparatus, the combination of a wheel structure including a pair of spaced, annular plates, a series of spaced, radial partition 'members rigidly uniting the plates, closure means for the outerI ends of the spaces between the partitions, means for rotatably supportingthe wheel structure, a gutter arranged along an inner edge of each partition and extending at one end beyond one of the said plates, each gutter being sloped with respect to its partition to direct water toward the extending end of the gutter, and sand feeding and sand receiving means located within the central space defined by the annular plates, said sand feeding means comprising a guide positioned to discharge into partitioned spaces in the lower part of the wheel structure and said sand receiving means being positioned to receive gravity-'discharged sand from partitioned spaces in the upper part of the wheel structure.

6. In a sand dewa'tering apparatus, the combination of a wheel structure including a pair of spaced, annular plates, a series of spaced, radial partition members rigidly uniting the plates, closure means for the outer ends of the spaces between the partitions, means for rotatably supporting the wheel structure water outlet means adjacent the inner end of each of said spaces, and sand inlet and sand discharge means located within the central space defined by the annular plates, said sand inlet means comprising aguide positioned to discharge into partitioned spaces in the lower part of the wheel structure and said sand discharge means :being positioned to receive gravity-discharged sand from partitioned spaces in the upper part of the wheel structure.

7. Sand dewatering apparatus comprising an open-center, annular wheel structure incorporating a series of circumferentially arranged buckets having their open ends directed radially inwardly toward the open center of the wheel; roller means engaging peripheral portions of the wheel structure and supporting the same with freedom to rotate about the axis of the center opening; water outlet means adjacent the open end of each bucket adapted to discharge water laterally of the wheel structure; and sand feeding and sand receiving means located within the said center opening, said sand feeding means comprising a guide positioned to discharge into partitioned spaces in the lower part of the wheel structure and said sand receiving means being positioned to receive gravity-discharged sand from partitioned spaces in the upper part of the wheel structure.

. WILLIAM F. BANKAUF.

HARRY B. FISHER.

iile of this patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 203,104 Bennett Apr. 30, 1878 633,040 Reed Sept. 12, 1899 871,366 p Schwarz Nov. 19, 1907V 918,054 Jackson Apr.A 13, 1909 975,331 Davidson Nov. 8, 1910 1,350,154 Hamilton Aug. 17, 19,20 2,061,841 Lang Nov. 24, 1936 2,136,400 Steindorf L Nov. 15, 1938 2,322,415 Buckbee June 22, 1943 2,323,920 Knudsen July 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date The Netherlands Dec. 16, 1933 

